Tourette Syndrome
YOUR “REAL-LIFE” EXAMPLE OF USING THIS STRATEGY
COPING STRATEGY
Early intervention is key to managing the disorder.
Get help from a qualified health practitioner, including a
professional diagnosis. An accurate diagnosis will help to
prevent any incorrect “labeling” of your child by others. It
will also assist you in working with your child’s education
team to determine appropriate accommodations.
Obtain a second opinion if necessary.
Find a support group for both you and your child, and
exchange strategies.
Learn all you can about the disorder and educate your
family and your child about the disorder.
Don’t compare your child to siblings or other children. Treat
your child as a unique individual.
e.g.
“One of Ethan’s tics is motor related – his taps his feet. To prevent attention and disruption in class at school, we made sure he had
shoes on the wouldn’t squeak or make a lot of noise, which seems to be working quite well.”
Tourette Syndrome
Re-evaluate and modify strategies as necessary. Work
closely with your child’s teacher, doctor, and school team.
NOTE: While children with TS cannot be held
accountable for their tics because they don’t have
control over them, they should be encouraged to take
personal responsibility for the outcome of their tics.
For example, if a person has a spitting tic, they should
be encouraged to apologize for spitting at someone.
They should not be punished for spitting because this
was unintentional. If they swear at someone, and this
swearing is a tic, they should apologize for hurting
someone's feelings but should not be punished for
using inappropriate language.
Work with a professional to manage their symptoms.
Recognize that TS does not affect intelligence; there are
numerous highly successful people with TS.
Tourette Syndrome
Emphasize to your child that TS is not the most important
thing about him/her. He/she is valued and loved.
Tics may increase with stress and decrease when a child is
involved in an absorbing activity. Keep these points in mind
when working with your child.
Talk with your child about appropriate behaviour for his/her
age and explain that any behaviour that is a symptom (i.e.
tics) is not his/her fault. Encourage your child to take
personal responsibility for the effect that their tics may
have.
Try to be flexible. Your child will have different needs and
abilities at different times and may even go in cycles
throughout the day.
Tourette Syndrome
Work with your child’s teachers, family, and friends to
create a reassuring daily routine with a structure your child
can manage and expect. Arrange extra help where
necessary and take advantage of special education
resources. Be sure to allow for flexibility in routine when
your child is particularly symptomatic.
Break down tasks into manageable chunks and give clear
instructions about how to complete them. Allow your child
to go at his/her own pace, since tics may slow down tasks.
Praise progress rather than criticize disorganization.
If you are asking your child to do something, make sure
he/she is ready and feeling safe in his/her environment.
Tourette Syndrome
Look for activities that your child is good at, and then
provide him/her with lots of praise to boost self-esteem.
Remember, tics are not the same as habits. Your child does
not have control over the tics.
Ignore tics as much as you can. Encourage taking personal
responsibility for the outcome of inappropriate tics.
Tics are not excuses for all behaviours, and behaviours that
are not tics should have consequences. Work with your
child to understand the difference between a tic that he or
she cannot control, and a behaviour that he or she chooses
to act out.
Tourette Syndrome
Provide support and supervision, especially in unstructured
environments that are less clear for your child.
Modify the environment where you can, rather than
attempting to change your child. When possible note what
triggers your child’s tics and take care to avoid or minimize
these triggers in the future if you can.
Be aware of depression and suicidal behaviour (see Mood
Disorders and Suicide in this handbook), since children with
disorders like TS are at higher risk.
Don’t assign blame for your child’s tics. Your child cannot
choose to stop
Tourette Syndrome
Have, and encourage in your child, a sense of humour.
Children with TS often suffer the added stress of teasing,
rejection, and even bullying from peers. Encourage your
child to talk about the disorder with classmates, friends and
family, and thereby increase acceptance of tics. If your child
agrees, consider contacting an organization to have one of
their trained volunteers give a presentation to his/her class
or school. Determine the best approach with the teacher
and with your child to create awareness and understanding
of your child’s disorder.